1. If you have just too many things that you need to do, then write them all down. Assign each of them a priority, in order or importance or urgency. Pick one and start doing it. When it is done, cross it off the list and pick another one. When you feel you have accomplished something, reward yourself with an enjoyable break. Then start on the next one. 2. If you are physically ill, you may discover that "what the doctor ordered" may not always be the best thing for your health. There are many alternatives that are becoming increasingly popular, without the (sometimes devastating) side effects of traditional (allopathic) medicine. The body has the capacity to heal itself to a degree that few people can imagine. With all the nutrients, vitamins, minerals that were once part of a normal diet, the body was rarely susceptible to disease. When the cells can communicate with each other well, miraculous healing often occur. There are 8 primary sugars that comprise the chemical language used by the cells to communicate. Only 2 of them exist in our modern diet. You can read a Free Report all about the miracles that can occur.
3. Sometimes what someone says to us can be extremely disturbing. The stress may be in the moment, or as a delayed reaction. The communication may come from good intentions, and may be some information that we need to be aware of and deal with, or even something in our own behaviour that we need to re-examine.
We can be shaken up when someone is openly hostile to us, but the stress tends to defuse when we figure out whether it was our own actions that caused the hostility, a misunderstanding or just an emotional problem of the hostile person. It may not be comfortable to face some of the facts, but is usually not all that difficult. Sometimes it will be necessary to work out a strategy to deal with a hostile situation.
The most damaging communications can be from people who pretend to be friendly but really wish us harm. One trick is to cause us to introvert and then put us on the defensive. Other tricks include unjustly calling our motives into question, giving us alarming information that is either false or irrelevent, speaking in generalities, such as: "Do you know what people are saying about you?". In such a case, it can help to speak with a trusted friend. Find out how much truth there really is in what was said, and decide what, if anything, you need to do about it. If you really care about the well-being of the false "friend", you may call them on what they were doing and recommend therapy. There is some small chance that you may really reach that person and make a difference. If they treated you that way, it is probably a pattern in their life. Don't hold your breath waiting for them to get better!
4. With a major loss that changes the quality of your life, it will usually take time to establish a new equilibrium. This may be the kind of stress that just needs to be "lived through". Depending on the circumstances, it may help to: stay busy, meet new people, buy something nice for yourself, spend time with friends, meditate alone, take a vacation, get angry with someone you've been "too nice" to, visit a psychic, attend a growth workshop, or several of these. Especially, be good to yourself.
5. We may not realize it immediately, but sometimes the stress is from something we ate, drank or smoked. It harms no-one to learn more about nutrition and what agrees or not with our own particular body. On occasion, I got a headache and it took me a while to realize that it was because I had not had my coffee that day. Yes, I'm addicted, but gourmet coffee tastes soooo good!
6. Is it worth the price you pay in loss of energy and diminished immune function, to do all the things you do that don't allow you enough time to sleep? I would not presume to suggest an answer for you.
7. Hungry, too cold or too hot? Worried about not having what you need? Do what you have to do. Keep the faith. Despite appearances, the universe really is a friendly place. Keep your eyes open, there are more available resources and compassionate people out there than you could ever imagine. Your situation in life has more to do with your own beliefs than with anything else.
8. Remember the song "I don't know why I love you but I do"? Sometimes our emotions run wild, we feel pain or discomfort and just don't know why. You can take a pill to suppress the symptoms, or you can sit quietly in meditation and allow the feelings to subside. In the silence, answers may come from whatever you believe to be the supreme power. Many scriptures remind us that God is Love. Perhaps you will remember a suppressed anger that needs to be forgiven. Or you may be reminded to take some vitamins. At our very core, we ARE love. Allow that to shine out from your heart and amazing things can happen.
9. Maybe you have a loose cannon out there: a child that may be taking drugs, a rapist stalking the streets, a potentially suicidal relative or a violent spouse. Too much anxiety or fear will make you less effective in planning the best action. Find time to sit quietly and breathe. Let your thoughts slow down until a good idea comes to the surface of your mind. Operating from a position of love does not mean compromising your well-being, or being afraid to upset someone else. There are shelters for abused spouses. Truly listening to another, without judgement is often the best therapy. Allowing a stressful situation to persist helps no-one. Do whatever it takes to fix it.
10. Is your stress caused by guilt? That is a big subject. Guilt has value to the degree that it drives you to do what you feel is the right thing. Beyond that, it eats you from the inside and stifles your vitality. There is a long section on guilt in my book: Freedom in All Directions.
11. When someone is yelling or lecturing at us, many of us have a tendency to shut them out, resist what they are saying, or even to go into fear. It is very difficult for anyone to stay angry when they are faced with an attitude of admiration. A shouter does not expect people to listen, that is why he feels he must be forceful with his message. It may take some self-control, but just look at the talker, restrain any judgement you may feel, and just let them finish. There may be some sense in what they said, then you can quietly answer. If there is no sense in their diatribe, your continuing silence may cause them to look inwards and perhaps realize their own silliness.
Enough said on stress. Volumes have been written on it. I hope my few words helped.
There is another area I definitely want to address. Many of us have felt that heaviness in the heart, when we contemplate how we must make a living. In the not-so-distant past, those who would control us have instilled this feeling in order to blunt our ambitions and perhaps to cause us to accept slave wages. Elements in the education system, advertising expensive cars or gadgets that are beyond our present means, and other parts of our culture have all contributed to a widespread feeling of financial hopelessness.
This feeling itself has become one of our biggest obstacles. It is a grouping of deep-seated beliefs that can paralyse us and blind us to the vast array of opportunities to create our lives in any way we choose. There are MANY books, workshops and systems that can help us get past these limitations. Different approaches will work for different people. If you feel held back, I encourage you to search for one that sings to your heart.
Since you have arrived at this page, I would love to hear your opinion. What topics would you like to see discussed? Click on the link to "Contact Us"
Thank you
David
